Richard Smirke (1778–1815) was an English antiquarian draughtsman.
Born in 1778, he studied painting in the schools of the Royal Academy, where in 1799 he gained the gold medal with a picture of Samson and Delilah.
But his tastes led him to the study of ancient works of art and historical costume, and he became a highly skillful antiquarian draughtsman.
[1] When the wall paintings in St. Stephen's Chapel, Westminster, were discovered in 1800, Smirke made a set of facsimile copies of them in watercolours, on a small scale, which are now in the possession of the Society of Antiquaries; he was afterwards employed by the society on similar work.
He gave much time to the study of chemistry, and made some discoveries in the qualities of colour.